Safety-brake



(No Model.)

H. BROOKMAN.

SAFETY BRAKE.

No. 376,365. Patented Jan. 10, 1888-.

1 1 J, 7 y' 5 ITNIESSBSI INVEN'IOR UNIT D STATES PAT NT CFFrcE.

HERMAN BROCKMAN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SAFETY-BRAKE.

EPE'CIEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 376.365, dated January 10, 1888.

Application filed February 23, 1887. Serial No. 228,620. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HERMAN BROOKMAN, of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Safety-Brakes, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in which-- 1 Figure 1 is a perspective view of a streetcar with my improved safety-brake attached thereto. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the .brake detached from the car. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rear end of the brake,-and Fig. 5 is a side view of a modification of the operating-lever. 7

My device relates to an improvement in safety-brakes for horse or cable cars; and it consists of a lever pivoted centrally beneath the end of the car, having rearwardlyacurved bifurcated downturned part, and immediately above is a rearwardly-projecting spring-bar to connect with the vertical operating-rod extending to the top of the dash, while forwardly the lever is provided with a weight and spring, so that by pressing downwardly upon the operating-rod the bifurcated part will press against the ground and thus act as a safety-brake.

As it is a welhknown fact that the ordinary brake is very uncertain in steep grades, my device is designed to obviate this serious defect, inasmuch as it is positive in its application and simple in its construction, all of which will now be fully set forth in detail.

In the. accompanying drawings, A represents an ordinary horse or cable car, provided 7 at one end with a metalbar, B, provided with a short transverse shaft, 0, having journals D at the ends. This is journaled within brackets E, secured to the under side of the plat form F. Rearwardly this bar B is provided with a bifurcated part, G, and curved downwardly, as shown in Fig. 3. Immediately above the spring-shaft C, I attach a springbar, H, which projects rearwardly and laterally over the part G, and is provided at the end with a slot, I, withinwhich the lower end of the vertical operating-bar J is disposed. This spring-bar H is preferably curved laterally at;its rearward end, so that the brake B may pass centrally beneath the car, and thus permit of the vertical operating-bar J being disposed at the side of the brake-shaft, as usually applied. This bar Jis operated within vertical ways K, and has a handle, L, on the upper end for raising or lowering the same. The opposite end of the bar B from the part G is provided with a ball-weight, M, of such a size that the barB will be tilted and the end Gr raised from the ground, and by simply pressing down on the operating-lever J the part G will engage with theground and act as a positive brake in preventing a sudden descent of the car in case the usual brake becomes defective or disarranged. Immediately forward of the ball-weightM, I dispose a spring, N, to engage with the said bar and with the under side of the platform F. This spring is designed to be of sufficient tension to prevent the vibration of the barBcaused by the weight M, as such vibrations would necessarily be very dangerous when the car would be moving rearwardly.

I Fig. 4 represents a slight modification of the device, which consists of a supplementary metalpiece, O, and secured on the upper faces of the bifurcated parts, which may readily be replaced when they become worn.

Fig. 5 represents a modification of the operating-bar J, and consists of providing the said bar with a screw-thread, P, operating within a threaded bracket, and also the addition of the crank Q at the upper end of said bar, by means of which it may be readily rotated, thus giving a more positive motion than would accompany the mere pressing down upon the bar, as shown in the previous figures.

What I claim as new is 1. In a safety-brake, a bar pivoted centrally and having one end downturned and bifurcatcd, and operated by a vertical bar so as to engage with the ground and stop the car, substantiall y as herein set forth.

2. In a safety-brake, the bar pivoted centrally, having at one end aweight and spring for depressing the same, while the other end is bifurcated and elevated in its normal position, and operated by means of the vertical bar so as-to engage with the ground, substantially as herein set forth.

3. In a safety-brake, the bar B, pivoted centrally, having a weight, M, at one end, while In testimony that I claim the foregoing I the other end is bifurcated and downturned, have hereunto set my hand, this 25th day of IO and provided with a spring-bar, H, to which August, 1887, in the presence of two witnesses. the operatingbar J is attached, with the said 5 bar J, substantially as herein set forth. HERMAN BROOKMAN' 4. The combination of the bar B, weight M, \Vitnesses:

spring-bar N, bifurcated part G, and operat- R. S. MILLAR, ing-bar J, substantially as herein set forth. W. B. JONES. 

